Peter Tatchell says hung parliament is about human rights

Peter Tatchell says hung parliament is about human rights

Just had a lovely message from Peter Tatchell who is supporting the Hang 'Em[9] campaign for a balanced parliament. In it he points out that representative government is a human rights issue, and suggests that a hung parliament is the best chance of achieving it.

This is what he said:

"A hung parliament is our best chance for serious democratic political reform, including a fair voting system that ensures all shades of voter opinion are represented in parliament. It is the most likely way to secure a government that has majority public support.

“A representative parliament and government is a human rights issue. People have a right to be ruled by a government that represents them and commands majority support.

“A big vote for the Greens, Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru and the SNP is vital to break the poisonous stranglehold of the big two parties that have ruled Britain for 50 years without ever winning a majority of the popular vote.

“The last thing we need is more one-party rule by a government with minority support. For over half a century, we’ve had governments with a majority of seats based on a minority of votes. The rot has got to stop.

“A hung and balanced parliament would prevent one party ramming through unpopular policies against the will of the majority. It would add to the pressure for serious political democratisation, to renew our body politic. It is our best hope for progressive social change.

“The first-past-the-post voting system is political corruption on a monumental scale. It frustrates the will of the majority. Millions of votes don’t count. In 1983, 1997 and 2005, it produced big majorities in parliament, based on only 36 per cent to 43 oer cent of the popular vote. This is not democracy. That’s why we need democratic renewal and a hung parliament is the outcome that is most likely to produce it.”